Firsts
by Nerdene Hyrde
Summary: Being a collection of oneshots about Shadowsinger and his coming-of-age. Chapter seven, a memory from youth.
1. Chapter 1

Hello, all, Kd Zeal here. This is a collection of interrelated one-shots based around my character Shadow. It's mostly about various firsts in his life, hence the title, and should explain why he joined the Autobots.

I'm very bad at chatty author's notes... Xobit checked my time terms, and no-one really beta'ed, so I hope this is good. Transformers belongs to... um, Hasboro, I think. Not to me, anyway.

* * *

Shadowsinger slipped around a corner, glad of his small size. There shouldn't be anyone around, but if there was, they wouldn't immediately notice the half-sized mech. Theoretically, he'd be able to hide again before he was noticed.

Theoretically, of course, didn't take into account Soundwave's cassettes. Shadowsinger sighed as he saw the quadruped, even smaller than he. Red optics met blue, and Shadowsinger forced a laugh. "Ah, hey there, Ravage... I wasn't doing anything, I mean, just... out for a stroll..." Slag, he'd been so close, too, the door was right there, just a little past Ravage.

Ravage chuckled, as much as he could, and silently walked to the wall, away from Shadowsinger. The ivory and purple mech stared hard at the four-legged cassette, not sure he understood what was happening. Ravage looked back, unruffled, before giving a deliberate yawn.

Shadowsinger didn't waste any more time, sprinting past Ravage and opening the door. The harsh lights of Kaon broke the darkness, and a grin started to form on Shadowsinger's face. The grin lasted approximately two seconds, long enough for Ravage to follow him out and nudge him in the leg.

"Hey, what..." Shadowsinger looked down, but Ravage was already past him, walking down the street with a very clear 'follow me' air about him. "Figures I got a watcher..." he muttered, following.

The two small mechs easily threaded their way through the streets. Ravage stayed to the back ways until they came to a club with bright neon signs. Shadowsinger read the signs and smiled to himself, slightly surprised Ravage had led him here. He wasn't completely sure how it happened, but before he knew it he and Ravage were let into the club.

The sound hit Shadowsinger like a physical presence, the music's strong beat almost drowning out the surprisingly delicate melody. The light was next, overall dim but with colors that flashed in time to the beat, shining off the mechs and femmes who were dancing. Dancing... Shadowsinger wasn't even surprised that Ravage knew of his secret hobby.

Looking for the quadruped, Shadowsinger wasn't surprised to find that Ravage had already melted into some dark corner of the club. A smirk graced his features as he walked passed a couple of tables and onto the dance floor. Light spilled across him, coloring the ivory with each pulse and turning the purple trim into apparent blackness. He let music take him, and he danced.

Shadowsinger's reverie was broken by a larger femme lightly touching his shoulder. Dazed, he looked at the bronze femme curiously. "Did ya want somethin', or what?" he asked after a little while.

"My friends and I," the femme answered, motioning vaguely at a table, "We saw your dancing."

"Y'like it?" Shadowsinger asked, glancing at the table. Three others were sitting there, two mechs and a femme, all easily twice Shadowsinger's hight.

"Oh, yes!" the femme answered enthusiastically. "We were wondering... That is, I mean..." Shadowsinger waited as the femme got over her sudden embarrassment, wondering just what request she had in mind. She finally did so, with a bright smile, saying, "Well, we were wondering if you'd be willing to dance for us a little."

"Dance... for you?" Shadowsinger repeated, a tremor of nervousness tracing down his back. "I'm... not sure I understand..."

The femme pulled out some credits as she explained. "On the table, so we can all see you, and you won't have to worry about being knocked over or anything. We're going to be here for half an joor or so, and if you wouldn't mind..."

Shadowsinger looked at the credits in bemusement, slowly catching on to what was going on. He didn't think his dancing was that good, but it wasn't that long, and if they were willing to pay him... He reached for the credits, almost surprised when the femme let him have them. "No, I wouldn't mind at all. I'd... very much enjoy it."

Another bright smile rewarded his acceptance, and the femme led Shadowsinger over to the table. The others watched as he climbed up, feeling uncomfortably like an exhibit. He smiled to hide his feelings, paused a little as the music changed, and then forced himself to follow it. A short while later, he realized his... patrons were barely paying attention, talking and laughing among themselves. Shadowsinger relaxed then, giving himself to the music once again.

Music... he didn't care about the music as anything more than a vehicle for his dancing. He would dance to anything, or to nothing, it didn't matter. Dance was his message to the world, the release of emotions his creator forbade him to voice. And yet, very few actually saw him dance, for Senator Ratbat's household was not a place where useless imaginings were tolerated.

Shadowsinger shook himself out of his depressing musings, focusing on the joy of being allowed to express himself. It worked, as the people at the table smiled. He wondered idly how long he'd been here.

"Hey. Hey, ah... you, dancer," the bronze femme said.

"Yes?" Shadowsinger asked, stopping and facing her.

She spilled more credits at his feet. "Here. We have to go now, but we'd love to see you again sometime."

Did they think he worked here, he wondered, shaking his head gently. "I fear 'twill not be possible, to my regret. I enjoyed our meeting," Shadowsinger answered, aware he was slipping into a more formal accent.

The femme gave a disappointed frown. "Ah, I see... Well, we enjoyed you tonight, at least." She gave a small wave and turned away, leaving Shadowsinger to gather up the credits alone.

When he had subspaced the last of the credits, Shadowsinger wasn't surprised to see Ravage looking up at him. "Time t'go, I assume then?" he asked, jumping off the table to land next to the quadruped. Ravage answered by walking away, toward the door. "Can't I even get a quick drink?" Shadowsinger asked, peeved. That suggestion earned him a very dirty look and offended snort from Ravage.

The trip back home was as quiet and uneventful as the trip out. Entering his creator's home, Shadowsinger had just begun to think that maybe, just maybe, there would be no ill repercussions from his night out. That, of course, was when he noticed Soundwave standing in the hall. He looked up at the far taller mech, trying to keep an innocent expression.

"Expedition enjoyable?" Soundwave broke the silence.

Shadowsinger was surprised by the question, but nodded warily. "It was. And now I think I'll go recharge," he answered. Soundwave was in Ratbat's employ, but had never been more than an observer in Shadowsinger's life. They got along, in so far as Soundwave had tolerated Shadowsinger's chatter vorns ago, but that was about it.

"Your income," Soundwave said. "It is mine."

"What?" Shadowsinger yelped, looking angrily at the taller mech. From behind, Ravage gave a displeased growl, and Shadowsinger had to repress a shiver. "It's mine, I earned it!" he protested, unwilling to fold.

"If kept, Senator Ratbat may learn of this," Soundwave answered, completely unfazed.

"You wouldn't tell him," Shadowsinger gasped pleadingly. He had planned everything perfectly, there was no way his creator could know he'd been out if he wasn't told.

Soundwave didn't react to the accusing plea, repeating his order, "If you keep the income, Senator Ratbat will learn of this."

Shadowsinger didn't miss the escalated threat. Shaking, he glared at Soundwave while obediently pulling out the credits. "There, are you _satisfied_ now, Soundwave? Creator isn't going to _learn_ of this now?" he asked, working hard to keep his speech free of the curses he was thinking. Putting the pile on the ground, he backed up until he practically tripped over Ravage.

"You never left your room," Soundwave agreed, as emotionless as ever. Shadowsinger stalked away, needing to leave before he did something foolish. Behind him, Soundwave picked up the first credits Shadowsinger had ever earned.


	2. Chapter 2

Kd Zeal here, with the second one-shot about Shadowsinger. You'll notice this is in a different format... yep. It is. Mech-smut at the end, so that's my head's up.

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I pushed my way forward, closer to the ring. I could see nothing but wide backs and afts from my current position, and I couldn't figure out why Soundwave had sent me here when he KNEW I wouldn't be able to see. He at least could have gotten me a better seat, someplace I could see from.

The crowd gave a shout, and I finally emerged into the clear, much closer to the ring than I expected. From here I could see the battle perfectly, two mechs attacking each other with startling ferocity. It was already clear who would win, even to my untrained optics. The taller silver mech with red markings, the one I had been sent to watch, was decimating his opponent, a smaller blue mech.

Megatron, his name was, at least three times my height, and beautiful, I had to admit. I winced as he hit the blue mech, metal bending and breaking from his strength. Beautiful he might be, but he was pretty high in the pit fighters ranking, which meant he was ruthless. How ruthless, I was quickly learning.

Energon and coolant splattered against me as Megatron drug his weapon across his unlucky opponent's neck. I saw his face when he killed, silver interrupted by vertical red slashes. He was pitiless, completely uncaring for the life he had just claimed.

I stepped back, feeling sick. Megatron looked towards me, but I didn't think he actually saw me. He lifted the head he removed from the mech, and I continued my retreat as the crowd roared its approval.

I started to turn, stopped, couldn't turn my back on the ring, on the killer... The crowd pushed against me, screaming praises, and I trembled, covered in the fluids of a dead mech. Megatron stood, accepting the adulation, and as he stood he turned. And then I was able to run, freed of the spell of his charisma.

"Primus, oh Primus..." I moaned, leaving the stadium and running into Kaon's night. I was reeling, the cloying sent of energon and coolant thick about me. So violent, it was so violent, brute force and destruction and raw hate. Dear Primus, how had things gotten this bad, what desperation drove mechs to join the fights? And how horribly ineffectual was our security, that something so well known and illegal could go on without even a warning? Of course, I should know how very corrupt the government was.

Stumbling to a halt, I fell to my knees, still shacking. "Slag you, Soundwave, you fragging pit-spawned glitch," I muttered. It was easier to blame him, his fault I was there, his fault I was kneeling in an ally, covered in the feel of death.

"Well well, what do have we here, Gearclutch?" a mocking voice asked, steps sounding behind me.

"I don't know, Firebrand," another mech answered, drawling. A foot came into view, and then a dirty red mech knelt before me, lifting my chin. "Are you mech or femme?"

I scrambled backwards, into the legs of the first mech, Firebrand. "Leave me alone!" I demanded, panic already clutching at my spark.

A strong hand grabbed my shoulder and Firebrand pulled me up. "Why, it's a mech! Scrawny little thing, though, ain't he?"

Gearclutch smirked, looking at me with an unpleasant hunger. "Well, he's slender enough for a femme..."

"Let me go, let me GO!" I cried, twisting and fighting Firebrand's hold. I was too small and too shaky to threaten the larger mech, though.

"If you say so," Firebrand agreed, shoving me forward. I sprawled on the ground between the two mechs, and then Gearclutch bent and turned me, turning me onto my back, and I screamed.

A shinning red mech punched the dirty one off me. "He _said_ leave him alone, you pit-slaggers," the new mech snarled.

"What if we don't wanna?" Firebrand asked, sneering.

"I was kinda hoping you'd say that," my defender answered, stepping past me and advancing on the two mechs confidently.

It was a fight almost worthy of the arena I had fled. The gleaming red mech fought with a cold precision and fluid grace that reminded me of my dances. He left his opponents alive at the end, however, watching as they ran from him.

"Hey, are you okay there?" the unnamed mech asked, turning to me with a smile. Noticing the energon that covered me, he frowned. "They hurt you? Slag, if I'd known that..."

"They didn't," I interrupted. I saw the blue mech again, and the beautiful silver mech who killed him, and I shook my head. My processor was glitching. "This... isn't mine."

He was red, with brief touches of black, and only a little taller then I was. Offering his hand, he smiled gently at me. "Come on, you need to get cleaned up anyway. I'm Sideswipe, I'm just waiting for my brother to get here..."

I gingerly took the offered hand and stood. "S-Shadowsinger," I gave my own name hesitantly.

Sideswipe led me out of the ally and into the street. "Pleased t'meet you, though I can't say anything about the circumstances." Looking up, I saw him smile again. "And there's Sunny, right on time."

A bright yellow mech, as gleaming as Sideswipe, came up, looking at me curiously. "Who's this, Sides?"

Sideswipe didn't answer in any way I could hear, simple looking at his brother. Both pairs of optics flickered slightly, and I realized they were passing data through a sibling bond. An ugly snarl crossed Sunny's face, and I stepped backwards, ready to run.

Both brothers snapped out of their trance, and Sunny's expression softened. "I'm Sunstreaker, and those two aft-heads are just lucky it was Sides who found them. So, Sides already said he'd help you clean up, probably planned on using my polish for it too. Unless you have someplace you need to be, Shadowsinger?"

Some place to be... Soundwave wanted my opinion of Megatron, and he wanted it as soon as possible. I almost started shivering again. "No," I whispered. "No place to be. Not for a while."

I let Sideswipe and Sunstreaker lead me away with gentle hands. We went down into a maze of alleys and buildings until I didn't know where we were, and then Sunstreaker opened a door and Sideswipe pulled me into a small home. There was little more than a living room and a bedroom with two recharge bays. An easel was set up in one corner, a comfortable arrangement of chairs in another.

"Welcome to our place, Shadow," Sideswipe said, letting go of my hand and motioning around. "It's not much, but it's home."

Shadow... nobody had ever shortened my name like that before. I found myself smiling and looking around. Sunstreaker covered the easel with such a natural motion that I hardly noticed, before going to the other room and rummaging around. Directionless, I stayed where I was. I shouldn't even be here, I should go back, give Soundwave his slagging report...

Sunstreaker came out of the room, holding a cloth and a jar. "Will you be okay if we do this, or would you rather clean yourself, Shadow?" he asked seriously.

"G-go ahead. S-sunny," I answered, emotions slowly catching up to me.

"Y'know, I thought I was the only one who could call him that," Sideswipe said laughingly, catching the cloth his brother threw at him.

"I figure I'll let him get away with it tonight," Sunstreaker answered, approaching me slowly.

They were gentle, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, as they carefully removed the energon and coolant from my chassis. I was stiff at first, afraid of doing the wrong thing, but as they continued the soothing motions I relaxed. They knew what they were doing, hardly surprising considering the immaculate state of their own armor.

I gasped suddenly as Sideswipe slipped, fingers dipping into a seam of my armor. He pulled away, but before he could apologize I grabbed his hand, returning it to its place. He was kneeling in order to reach my leg, and our optics were on the same level. He looked at me wordlessly, concerned. On my back, Sunstreaker's hands stilled as he waited to see what would happen.

I studied the red mech for a long moment, an imagined alarm going off in my processor. I was aware enough to know I wasn't thinking clearly. If I were thinking clearly, I would never dare to consider this. "I don't mind," I said quietly.

There was a momentary flash of _something_ in Sideswipe's optics, and then he shook his head. "You've had a hard day, Shadow. You should rest, you can-"

"Sides," I interrupted firmly. My vague musings had crystallized into desire, and I wasn't going to let him deflect me like that. "I know what I'm doing. I have a right to choose my first." Slag, I hadn't meant to actually say that. He'd be even less likely to agree now.

"Me?" he asked, startled. "Your first?" Sideswipe didn't look like he was going to refuse... Instead, he looked... honored? "You've never... I mean... you're sure?"

Impulsively, I leaned forward and kissed the red mech. Getting no reaction, I started to pull back, embarrassed. Sideswipe moved then, his free hand encircling me and holding me where I was.

Sunstreaker broke the moment, stepping away from Sides and I. "Guess I'll go out for the night, then," he said, with just the faintest hint of bitterness underlying his gently teasing tone.

I had turned and caught his wrist before I was even aware of moving. "Please don't," the plea spilled from my lips. "I'd like - I mean..." I stopped, realizing what I was asking, they were brothers, how could I even think to ask that of them? "I... I'm sorry... I... wasn't thinking..."

Blue optics flickered again, more information being passed over their sibling bond, and I felt a stab of jealousy. Sideswipe spoke up after a click or too. "Shadow... Sunny and I are twins. We're already bonded."

His words seemed meant to comfort me, but instead I heated up in further embarrassment. Of course I knew twins were bonded, they shared a spark, how could they not be? I slipped from Sideswipe's hold, not looking at either of them. "I'm sorry," Primus, I was saying that often this night. "I didn't mean to... intrude on your bond. I..."

It was Sunny who reacted, reaching out and resting his hand on my shoulder. "You're not, Shadow. Sides were explaining why you could have what you wanted, not that you were in the wrong."

I looked at the mech before me, the arrogant lines of his face softened by some form of tenderness. I didn't understand what was motivating Sunstreaker, but right now I didn't care. Trembling, I reached up, tracing Sunstreaker's face plates.

He smiled, and Sideswipe came up behind me, one hand rubbing across the armor of my leg while his other hand traced the seams on Sunny's chest. Sunny's hand on my shoulder began feeling the cording in my neck. I stiffened slightly, acutely aware of how _vulnerable_ a mech's neck really was, but Sunstreaker was careful, indulgent, and I relaxed again.

Sideswipe guided my hand to one of the fins Sunstreaker sported, and the yellow mech moaned. I grinned, and then Side's fingered dipped under my armor again and I gasped. My light armor hid wires I didn't even know I had, and Sideswipe's stroking against them felt... so good...

I twisted around until I could kiss Sides, and this time he kissed back. Silky glossa swept into my mouth, and I bucked a little from surprise. Sunstreaker gave a low chuckle at my reaction, and I tightened my fingers on his headfin until he moaned again.

Sideswipe broke the kiss suddenly, lifting his head and giving Sunstreaker a dirty look. In my hazy confusion, it took me a while to realize the yellow mech had a hand under Sideswipe's red armor. That struck me as a good idea, and my own smaller hand got much deeper than Sunny's. A low and needy whimper came from the red mech, and Sunny gave me a grin.

Sideswipe moved his hand toward the main sensory cable that ran from my legs. There was a brief crackle of electricity and I cried out, arching into it. Another hand, Sunny's, drug across the wires under my chest, and I gasped again. Pulling him down, I kissed the yellow mech, and this time I was the one who slipped the glossa in.

The hands in my body were growing rougher, but never painful. Electricity was cracking around us quite freely, and I cried out, twisting my own hands against the brothers. Above me, plates shifted, and Sideswipe's chest opened. Blue light spilled out, and was met by the light from Sunstreaker's chest also opening. They seemed to have forgotten I was there, though their hands still moved in me.

I felt the energy washing over me as the twins brought the two halves of their spark together over my body. I wasn't in the bond, my chest wasn't even open, but I joined the overload as their spark was again made whole. I cried out, adding my voice to the twin's screamed, and then my consciousness went dark as I entered recharge.

I on-lined some time later, feeling ready to actually face life again. I had been moved to a berth, and in the berth next to me, Sunny was cradling Sides tenderly. Blue optics met mine, and Sunny smiled. "Give me a moment," he requested, squirming out from under his brother.

I nodded, standing and walking into the living room. Sunstreaker came out a moment later. "Sides will be sorry he missed you leaving," he said. It was not a petition for me to leave, merely an acknowledgment that I was going to.

"I know," I answered. If Sides asked me to stay, I might find excuses to do so.

"Can you find your way back from the main square?"

I nodded wordlessly, and Sunstreaker opened the door. I was as lost as ever in the alley-maze, and we soon reached the square. Sunny left me there, fading into the dark surprisingly well for a mech so polished. I began to walk towards my creator's house, ready to face whatever would happen.

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So... like? Hate? Review!


	3. Chapter 3

Hello. Still Kd here, still Shadow's past, still don't own Transformers. This chapter was a pain, up until Soundwave told me that he wanted it from HIS view. Would have helped if he told me that BEFORE I WROTE IT ALL. Oh well. I think I fixed it. So, this time, first weapon! This follows right after the last chapter, btw.

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I was standing in the servant's hall, exactly where Shadowsinger was supposed to meet me joors ago. I waited patiently, cloaking my worries with a facade of stoicism. When the smaller mech finally showed up, the first thing that I noticed was the excellent polish he was sporting. "You are late," I observed, careful to maintain my facade.

"You noticed," Shadowsinger agreed, sneering slightly.

"Why?" I asked, a faint wisp of anger modulating my voice. He didn't know it, he couldn't, shouldn't know it, but I had been concerned about him, and now he came in like nothing was wrong, with what was actually one of the best finishes I'd ever seen.

Shadowsinger's posture shifted from relaxed to tense, and he favored me with an angry glare. "It doesn't matter to you, so don't even ask. If you want your report, Megatron is a cold and ruthless pitspawn. Now, I would like to be left alone." He was shaking, and his words came just a little too fast, though he tried desperately to act strong.

"Why are you angry at me?" I pressed, disappointed by the way Shadowsinger mentioned Megatron. I had almost hoped that Megatron's strength would attract Shadowsinger. Surely a simple pit fight couldn't be the cause of so much anger, not directed at me.

The smaller mech looked away, polished ivory armor catching the light as he moved. "It doesn't _matter_, Soundwave. Just let me go." He was practically vibrating, sending out such a strong feeling of shame-colored anger that I had no choice but to receive the emotions.

I didn't move as Shadowsinger tried to pass me in the tight hallway. Realizing I wasn't going to bend to his will, Shadowsinger looked up, optics blazing, words coming angrily. "I watched a mech _die_ for the amusement of the crowd. To see at all, I was right next to the arena. Close enough for..." he cut himself off, shuddering, and I realized the polish job was the last step of cleaning a mech's vital fluids off. "That was your fault, your fault I was even there! Outside the stadium I was attacked, my _first time_ was nearly forced, and it's _your slagging fault_," Shadowsinger hissed.

My optics flickered as Shadowsinger spilled his anger, a curl of remorse biting at me. In the silence that followed, any number of things could be said. However, the words I choose to answer with cut through Shadowsinger's anger in an instant. "Your analysis is correct, Shadowsinger," I agreed calmly.

"Wha... you're not... You... agree?" the polished mech said, stepping backwards.

"Come," I ordered, turning and walking away. Curiosity compelled Shadowsinger to follow, as I had expected and planned. We walked through the halls in silence until I opened the door to a very secret private medical bay.

Leaving Shadowsinger in the doorway, I went to one of the tables and looked at what was laying on it. "The shipment was late," I said, not looking at Shadowsinger. "And so I sent you unarmed."

The soft noise of metal on metal was the only sound as Shadowsinger crept nearer to me, anger replaced by inquiry. "What... is that?"

I moved and let Shadowsinger see the weapon, already painted the same purple as his trim. "Sonic cannon. Those outside the beam will barely hear it."

"For me?" Shadowsinger muttered, reaching a hand up to trace the gun that was barely in his reach. And then he drew back suddenly, looking at me suspiciously. "And just how is it supposed to be installed? My creator isn't going to let me just-"

I cut off the arguments with a simple shake of my head. "Senator Ratbat will not be asked. I will perform the installation."

Shadowsinger's excitement was painfully easy to see, a reminder of just how young he truly was. He was slow to agree, a mark of just how growing up in the corrupt senator's household had affected him, but ultimately he nodded. "I guess even he can't argue with a done deal."

I gave no answer to that, watching silently as Shadowsinger climbed onto the berth. Blue optics looked at me with just a hint of fear, and then they went dark as Shadowsinger off-lined himself. Looking at the helpless mech, I wondered just when I had lost so much of Shadowsinger's trust. Of course, I had been slowly destroying the young mech's innocence, deliberately shaping him into someone who could survive, and survive well, all alone. Loss of trust was... expected, needed, on such a road. Still, I was finding the reality harder to deal with than I had anticipated.

The installation didn't actually take that long, but I found myself lingering over my work. I had erred badly, my unaccountable impatience an indirect cause of the attack Shadowsinger had endured. He would have been safe if he had stayed in the stadium, but I had underestimated him, and he suffered from my mistake. Someone else had rescued the small mech, and as I searched the resting processor I could catch glimpses of red, and a gleaming yellow, and gentle hands... Realizing just what had happened last night, I stopped my search.

Bringing Shadowsinger back online, I waited as he sat up and twisted, accustoming himself to the new weapon. A smile showed on Shadowsinger's lips, and the look he gave me was free of fear or distrust. "Not bad," he said, but he gave no thanks. I had expected none.

Shadowsinger hopped off the bay, transformed into his small alt mode, and then back. He looked at an arm, realizing further modifications had been done. Metal shifted, and a blade replaced his hand. Now he was looking at me curiously.

"For close combat. Now you cannot be disarmed," I explained. It was as close to an apology as I would ever give. There was a slight pause before I spoke again, knowing and hating the effect this would have on Shadowsinger's newly-repaired trust. It had to be addressed however. "You interfaced last night."

Instantly Shadowsinger closed off, looking at me with as neutral of an expression as he was currently capable of. "That does not concern you."

He was correct, it didn't, it shouldn't, but his answer to the next question might. "Will you seek to continue the relationship?"

Shadowsinger shook his head slowly, sadly, perfectly aware of what would happen if he tried that. "I hope never to see them again," he answered. Senator Ratbat would be less than pleased to find his creation had a mind of his own, and so Shadowsinger could not do anything to show that he did.

"RSA 270," I said. The non-sequitur earned me yet another confused look, and I smiled to myself. As hard as he tried, Shadowsinger was still a child in many ways. "Access code to the training room," I explained. Yes, the weapon program I had installed would provide the basics for using the cannon, but practice was always needed.

Shadowsinger looked at me for a long moment. His face was unreadable, and I made no attempt to read his mind. Finally, with a curt nod, Shadowsinger left the room.

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Well, that wasn't too bad, was it? Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

Hello, Kd Zeal here, with another chapter of Firsts. This chapter has a super-special appearance from Sulcal, playing Wei. This time around is more of an ending than a first. And I should probably have mentioned this earlier, but I'm including stuff from IDW'verse in this. And I still don't own Transformers.

* * *

For the most part, Wei didn't ask many question. Actually, okay, he did, but he tried not to ask anything that he thought might be too much for him to handle. It came with understanding ones and zeros. His tennis shoe tapped against the floor, as he tried to find his courage. Finally, with a shrug, Wei moved into Shadow's room; or was it rather, their shared room? "Hey, you in?" he called, poking half of his body into the doorway.

Shadowsinger looked up at the voice, then down as he realized it was human. "Of course, what can I do for you, Wei?" he asked, putting aside the datapads. He'd already served most of the crew as a psychologist, of course the human would approach him.

Wei rubbed at his dark hair, scowling slightly and stepping all the way in, the door sliding closed behind him. "I was just sort of wondering... I mean..." he paused. How DO you go about asking a giant mech, 'by the way. I'd like to know why you joined your side?' Eh... damn... maybe being human and squishy was a bit of a burden...? "How'd you fall in with the 'bots?"

Optics flickered in a blink. Shadowsinger hadn't expected a question about _his_ motives. "Fall in with them...? Mostly by default, I suppose. The Decepticons were..." He sighed, suppressing a shudder as old memories played again. "They were _not_ an option," Shadowsinger finished. Noticing Wei's slight flinch at his tone, Shadowsinger sighed again, motioning to the human-sized chair he kept for his charge. "Sit down, seems y'want t'talk."

Okay, so... yeah. Well. Sure. That hadn't gone badly at all... Wei slid across the floor and into the chair, folding his hands into the large front pocket of his hoodie. "Okay, yeah, yeah. You found me out. So I guess... you're going to explain it all? Or is it need-to-know?"

"You mean you really are here to hear _me_ talk?" Shadowsinger asked laughingly. "Well, I'll explain whatever you want. You're part of the crew, and have as much right to know as anyone else." Shadowsinger didn't show it, but he was actually surprised. No-one except the Prime had ever asked about his past.

"Well, yeah! I mean... I'm a code monkey and all, but that... I don't know." Wei gave a soft shrug and leaned back, relaxed. Shadow was cool. Really. Just... a giant robot. He was still trying to wrap his head around that. It was like his wildest dreams come true. "As far as guardians go, you're awesome, even with my limited experience. But I'd kind of like to know..."

THERE Wei was relaxing. That was much better, now Shadowsinger didn't feel like he had to work to keep the human around, not to scare him. "Well... I told you about the first time I saw Megatron, and how that affected me. The thing is... well, how do I say this..." Shadowsinger frowned. His private opinion was not one that the average Autobot would approve of.

"Given the political climate of the time... he wasn't wrong," Shadowsinger finally admitted. Most other bots would be giving him quite the confused and angry look by now. Wei... only listened. "He wasn't _right_, mind you, but he wasn't _wrong_. The conditions needed to change... but he took the wrong way..."

"Oh... huh... I guess you're right. I mean, not everyone is right all the time." Wei looked Shadow over for a moment, acutely aware of just how ignorant he still was of Cybertronian history. He finally just nodded, dark eyes softening a little. "But don't let me stop you."

"Heh, Megatron sure thinks he's right all the time," Shadowsinger agreed with a bitter chuckle. "Anyway... So... what finally drove me... It didn't drive me to the Autobots, of course, but... away from the Decepticons..." Shadowsinger was aware of just how incoherent he was being. "It was Soundwave." Soundwave, who'd been at the heart of so much of his past...

"What about him?" Wei only knew the name from rumor and stories, and had no real opinion about the mech.

Shadowsinger smiled. "That's what I like about you, Wei... you're always direct..." He shook his head, knowing he was stalling. "He... off-lined my creator." It was more than just that... "I... remember..." Wei blinked owlishly at Shadowsinger, waiting for the small mech to continue.

"Things were just starting to go to the pit in Kaon. I... was afraid." Smoke had billowed past the windows, fires burning deep in the city. "I was looking for my creator, or for Soundwave... for anyone, really. I... found Soundwave in a hallway, holding one of his cassettes... A new one, I hadn't seen it before..." He was stalling... Why was he even telling Wei this? Was he that desperate to tell someone, anyone?

"So... you helped him, right?" Wei kind of got the picture, but also kind of didn't. There was a lot for him to know and a lot that he didn't- couldn't.

"HELPED him?" Shadowsinger said in shock. "Helped him how?" He remembered the fear he'd felt, seeing the purple insignia on Soundwave's compartment, wondering what a new cassette meant. Realizing that this mech, who really had done so very much for him, was following that murderer from the arena. Against that background, Wei's innocent question grated like steel wool on bare wires.

Wei cringed a little, not used to... well, a lot of things. He felt a little bit like he might have said the wrong thing, or misunderstood. "Well... I don't know. Come on, Shadow. There's a lot that I don't know..." Wei pleaded.

Shadowsinger flinched at Wei's reaction. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean... You caught me off guard. I'm not mad, just... surprised." Blue optics begged for understanding, but Wei was as ignorant of Cybertronia body language as Shadowsinger was of human.

Wei turned his tanned face up, lips pulled down slightly in something close to the human range of thoughtful. It was easier to just pretend the misunderstanding hadn't happened. "So he was holding it, right? What happened after that?"

"We... looked at each other," he returned to the story. "He asked... if I would accompany him." He had thought about it, might even have followed, but... "I asked about my creator... Soundwave glanced at the cassette before replying 'Secured'. If I hadn't known him so well, I would never have understood what he meant by that..."

The human was silent for a long moment, mulling it over. "Oh. Well... So... your creator is one of those cassettes?" Okay. That... made no sense at all, to him, anyways. But Wei accepted it, because Shadowsinger really didn't lie. Or something like that. "So, what happened after that?"

Shadowsinger nodded, noticing Wei relax again. "Yes. Soundwave... transferred my creator's spark into the cassette, from what I can determine. I don't know if Ratbat even remembers me. After that... I told him no. I told him what I told you, that Megatron was not wrong, but not right, either."

"He..." Shadowsinger off-lined his optics. Even after so long, the memory hurt him. "Soundwave told me... if I didn't accompany him now... he would have forgotten me next time we met." Even at his young age, he had known exactly what Soundwave meant. His optics glowed again as he returned power to them, breaking from his memories again. "I told him I expected no less. We both turned and walked away."

"So..." Wei shifted a little in his chair and found himself staring at the rosemary growing in the far corner. It had been a gift, or something, he wasn't really sure how Shadowsinger had gotten it. "Well, did you guys ever meet in battle? What happened after that?" Wei grinned sheepishly. He was asking too much and he knew it, but if Shadowsinger was going to keep talking, he was going to keep listening.

"Thank Primus, I've been lucky so far. I've never had to face Soundwave in battle. I'll probably die if I do. He knows me too well, even aside from the telepathy," Shadowsinger replied in a very matter of fact tone. He had come to accept that truth a long time ago.

"After that... I got an unsigned letter with account info." A brief smile crossed Shadowsinger's face. "The credits Soundwave took from me, after that night I went to the club? I think he invested them, the account was opened the half-orn after that. No proof, of course... It was enough for me to live on until I drifted into the Autobots..." He shook his head suddenly, dispersing the memories. "I've been here since, and for the most part happy."

"That's... good to know," Wei muttered, stretching his legs and nodding, smiling back. Briefly he tapped his Converse together and found himself feeling suddenly rather awkward. Not really in a bad or good way, just... "So, um... I guess that was all..."

"Ever gone two hundred down the halls of a spaceship?" Shadowsinger offered suddenly. At Wei's confused look, the mech transformed into his earth motorcycle form. Wei grinned wider as he climbed on, and the two were off.

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For the record, Shadow's top speed is closer to four hundred than two hundred. So, review, tell me what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

Kd Zeal here, with the (so far) last chapter of Firsts. This is, quite honestly, very much a bonus chapter. Hope you enjoy!

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Looking at the neat rows and stacks of crates, Shadowsinger shook his head. Exactly how was he supposed to find the requisitions officer, Goldstrike, in all this? Well, calling out was always an option... "Hello? Is anyone here?"

"Hold on, I'll be out there in just a bit," a femme answered, voice floating from somewhere unknown.

Well, that had gone easier than expected. "Understood," Shadowsinger called back. It wasn't long before a bronze femme walked out from one of the rows. Shadowsinger looked at her in surprise, barely noticing when she spoke to him.

"So then, who are you and what are you here to pick up?" she asked, sounding bored.

He knew her. He had seen her before, in Kaon, before the war had even started. "I'm Shadowsinger, but I'm actually not here to pick anything up. My CO asked me to drop this list off." He smiled nervously, "I'm too small to really bring much of anything back."

Goldstrike looked at the small mech and nodded in agreement. "Well, give it here then," she requested. Shadowsinger walked closer with a fluid grace that tickled her memory banks. Taking the pad he handed her, Goldstrike didn't even glance at it, optics locked on the ivory and purple form. "Excuse me, have I seen you before?" she asked as he turned away.

Shadowsinger turned back to her with a smile covering his surprise. "I danced for you. At the club, on your table, before the war," he answered.

Goldstrike brightened in recollection, and then her expression turned to a scowl. "What's a dancer from a third-rate club like you doing with the Autobots?" she asked sourly.

"What do you mean by that...?" Shadowsinger asked slowly, turning to face the femme fully.

"Oh, come on, that club was horrible. I don't know why a dancer like you was even there. But if that was the only place you could find that would employ you, why do you think you're good enough for the Autobots?" Goldstrike asked in a lazy, snooty voice.

Shadowsinger looked at her measuringly. She was not the first of her kind that he had met in the Autobots, though she was rapidly becoming the most annoying. "Let me guess," he said softly. "You were 'slumming it' that night. You were really one of the rich elite..."

Goldstrike nodded cautiously, and Shadowsinger continued. "You think that makes you better then the others?" His soft purring tone slowly dropped into a biting flatness. "You and your kind are exactly the sort who were the problem. Enjoying your easy life at the top, you didn't even notice the workers, the poor, until Megatron lead them in revolt! And now you sit here, judging me because you _think_ my social station was lower than yours."

With a nervous laugh, Goldstrike shrugged away his words, "Oh please, you were a dancer at a third rate club, and nothing you say will change that! If you're so unhappy here, leave, we'll be better off without your kind."

Shadowsinger smiled, cold and flat. So easy to shatter her self-contained world, and hopefully she would be the better for it. "I was never a dancer at that club. I, like you, was slumming, escaping my creator for a few joors of fun."

"Then everything you said about me is true of you as well!" Goldstrike defended herself in a triumphant tone.

"I was aware of the problems as they grew," Shadowsinger said, shaking his head slowly. "My creator, to my shame, was instrumental in growing them. I did what I could to ease the strain, but with the entire upper echelons of society happily ignoring what they didn't want to know, what could I do?" That wasn't the pure truth, obscuring the actual 'work' he had done. He hadn't realized just what Soundwave was doing... well, until he'd met him with his creator's cassette, really.

"And just who _was _your creator?" the question came.

Shadowsinger looked at the femme silently. He didn't want his past to become common knowledge. From the looks of things, his creator's name would do nothing to pierce the wall Goldstrike had around her worldview. "You have my CO's list," he said, turning away.

Goldstrike laughed. "You little liar! You never were more than a dancer at a third rate club!"

"What did you call me?" Shadowsinger asked hollowly.

"You're a liar, saying all that high and might stuff, but-" Goldstrike was cut off by Shadowsinger's sudden attack. Jumping at her, he kicked her backwards, flipping and landing neatly while she fell to the floor.

"_Don't_ say I lie," the mech hissed, glaring at the femme with glowing blue optics.

Gathering her feet under her, Goldstrike brushed a hand across the dent he had left in her chassis. "You know you'll go to the brig for this. Insubordinate _and_ a liar, are you sure you shouldn't be with the 'cons?"

Shadowsinger was shaking, trembling with anger. "I didn't join them when Soundwave himself invited me. You're the one so quick to make accusations, Goldstrike." He held himself back from suggesting she was the one who should be a 'con. He wasn't going to sink to her level.

"As if someone like you knows their second in command. You're full of it, Shadowsinger!"

With the last bit of control he had, Shadowsinger turned and stormed from the room. If he stayed any longer, he was afraid he would kill the femme. He went straight to the security office, still shaking with anger, and told them exactly what had happened. Owning up to his guilt was the only way he might earn any mercy from them.

He got two orns in the brig for assaulting a fellow Autobot. She got a reprimand and an extra work detail for insulting his former status.

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Ah, prejudice... still alive and well. For what it matters, this is basically still in the very early parts of the war, before the prejudice got all worked out. At least, in my mind it is. So, thank you for reading this, and I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review!


	6. Chapter 6

Hey, Kd Zeal here. I know I said the last chapter was... well, the last. At least, I think I said that. If I didn't, then yay! Anyway, this is more or less a reply to Den. Or something. Gimme a break, I'm tired. Anyway, Loki helped me write this, she's playing... well, herself. Hope you like, TF isn't mine, all that.

Edited to remove names on 7.28.08

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Shadowsinger kept himself from fidgeting, looking at the door before him. He was supposed to report to the second in command, and he was fairly sure this was her office. So there was really no reason for him to be hesitating... He opened the door and walked in, stopping as soon as he could see the femme. She was... big. Very, very big... Primus, Dinobots made him nervous. "H-hello..."

"Yo! Come'n in!" Loki said, standing and walking over to where the newest member of their ship stood, looking nervous. "Calm down I ain't gonna step on ya', wat'cha name ?" she asked, forcing her giggles at the sight of the nervous mech to go away.

Shadowsinger managed to look offended. "I know that! I am also small, and you're big!" He stopped suddenly, remembering just who he was arguing with. "I mean... sorry. I'm Shadowsinger."

"No! nono silly, Ah' should apologize not ya' I'm sorry, I didn't mean ta' a'ffend." She said, waving her hands in front of her. "Mah names Loki an' ya' needn't treat meh like anythin' more than a' normal soldier 'k?" The dinobot grinned.

Well, at least she wasn't making cracks about his size, or lack thereof. That was worth... quite a bit, actually. Though he had to admit, he did wish she'd back up, if for no other reason then his neck was straining. "Okay... Loki. So let's just... call it even and start from there, I guess?" He really did have to calm down, he'd picked this side at least partly because no-one would hurt him. And for such a tall femme, she did have quite the welcoming smile.

"Aye, aye!" Loki chirped before turning to look at her desk and flip open his report, reading quickly. "Now le's see where ta' put ya'… not next ta' 'Out shes way ta' loud and ya'd get blown up by accident… th' spot near th' 'bay is booked… oh I know! On ya' report it mentions ya' like fightin' close range an' are calm in battle so the room next ta' Wish an' 'Bit would be great! Is that 'k with ya'?"

Shadowsinger just stared at Loki, optics flickering, as he was hit with the large rush of conversation. "Given that I have absolutely no idea who any of those people are, I'll go wherever you put me." Thinking about it, 'Bit was probably Xobit Prime, she let them get away with calling her that? Wish... Wishmaster, the medic? 'Out... nope, no clue there. "Especially as I've no desire t'get blown up."

"Oops sorry I forget that 'ur new 'round here." Loki said, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck. "You'll like bein' near 'Bit, shes a great Prime an' real quiet unless she gets mad 'cause she can't find somethin'…" She opened the door and motioned with her hands, "Just wait 'till ya' meet the others! That'll be fun as th' pit!"

Hopefully, the Prime was... saner then her second in command. "Yes... fun, I'm sure it will be." Slaggit, he hated meeting new people. Nothing wrong with them, really, just... Shadowsinger had never gotten the hang of socializing. He walked out the door, staying near the wall from long-used safety habits.

Leading the way the dinobot wasn't surprised when her sister came barreling down the hall at top flying speed and landed on her shoulder. "T-t-transform!" she shrieked, beak clicking.

"'Eh? Sorral wha's 'ur problem now?"

"J-j-just dooo it-t!" With a sigh, Loki transformed and shook her head as Sorral climbed up to her favorite perch, on the massive fin the dino sported. Said dino looked down at Shadowsinger, "I'm sorry… 'gain… mah elda' sis has no manners when shes hung'ova'…"

The micro rapter scowled, "I-I am-m n-not, this-this time!"

Loki snorted and turned back to the smaller mech, keying in the code to his room. "Ignore her, she's mostly harmless."

Shadowsinger had instinctively moved out of the way when he heard the new bot coming. Loki's transformation sequence had been another interesting experience, though oddly enough he found her dinosaur form easier to handle. "So, she has manners when she's not hung over?" he asked before he could quite measure the words. Sorral was the smallest Dinobot he had ever seen, he didn't know they came that small. Maybe that was why Loki wasn't teasing him.

"Actually, no…" Loki said, "She don' got manners EVER." Sorral didn't answer the jibe, already into a recharge cycle hanging from her sister's fin. "Here ya' go! 'ur private quarters." She made another motion for him to enter, tail waving in excitement. "I hope ya' like 'em an' if there's anythin' ya' need jus' drop meh a call an' I'll get it."

Chuckling at Loki's answer, Shadowsinger stepped into the quarters. As usual, they were sized for a mech twice his hight, but they seemed to have everything he needed. "I believe I'll be comfortable here, thank you." He felt there was something else he should say or do, but he ended up mutely looking at the second in command.

"No problemo! Anytime dude." Loki said, "Ya' wanna go on a' tour? Then Ah' won't have'ta work on those stupid data pads…" She made a face at the thought of the paper work that awaited her.

Once again Shadowsinger found himself laughing at the eager femme. "Then I suppose 'tis my duty t'help thee avoid the scourge of work, m'lady Loki," he agreed with a sweeping bow. Straightening, he made to offer his arm, and then remembered that not only was Loki much taller than him, she was also currently on all fours. And had another bot recharging on top of her. Interesting crew he'd ended up with this time around.

Without hesitation the dino took Shadow's arm, along with the rest of him and plopped the startled mech in the space between her spines and fin, "Hold tight'." She said, "An' if ya' mess with ma' spikes or fin… I'll have'ta squish ya', sorry but…" Loki trailed off with a small shrug, "Jus' a warnin'."

"There's nothing around me _but_ spikes and fin. I'm don't mean to sound cross, but just what am I supposed to hold onto?" Shadowsinger asked, trying to obey all the directives at the same time. The shrug left him grabbing for anything he could find, finally steadying himself against Loki's neck.

"I jus' mean messin' with them for somethin' OTHER then ah' hand hold, Sorrel' likes ta' run up an' dig 'er claws in th' joints just ta' see meh fall ova'." The dinobot clarified, "They're sensitive an' she knows it."

"I see... ooh... I see..." Carefully, he grabbed a spine, feeling much more stable. "Hey... I can see a lot from up here," he noticed suddenly, looking around.

"Hm?" With a small laugh Loki turned her head and motioned to the in recharge femme next to him. "If ya' poke 'er she'll tweet in her sleep… its actually quite entertainin' but I can't do it much or she'll try'n peck me ta' death."

"Well, you're likely too bit t'poke her right," Shadowsinger replied, more focused on looking around then anything. "Hopefully she won't try to peck me... that would hurt..." he muttered, reaching out to test Loki's words. As promised a tweet greeted his actions, and he chuckled slightly.

"Oi' I'm careful!" The spinosaurus exclaimed, "Size means notin', 'specially on this ship…" With a shake of her head Loki, flicked her tail and poked Sorral with it a few times, enjoying the small echoing tweeting sounds. "An' she won' peck ya' unless ya' mess with 'er, so don' worry."

"But this is messing with her," he pointed out, poking gently. It really was a very melodic tweeting... Anyway, why was he up here again...? Oh, right, orientation tour... He was going to MISS the view when he had to get down. "So... ye said somethin' about a tour, no?"

"Aye, but I tol' ya' ta' so she won' get mad at ya'." Loki said, laughing lightly. "An' yup ya' get a tour I hope ya' gonna have fun…" Entering the rec. room the dinobot reached up and picked Shadowsinger up, setting him on the nearby table. "Wanna see somethin' funny?" she asked Shadow' with an evil grin.

And she was even thoughtful enough to set him on a table. Oddly enough, the frightening grin only caught his interest. "Sure, show me," he answered, sitting on the edge of the table and smirking.

Carefully Loki pulled Sorral from her fin and climbed up to one of the ceiling vents, holding the small micro-raptor in such a way that the sleeping femme instantly latched onto the vent. Climbing back down the dinobot giggled at the sight of her sister gently swaying while hanging upside down. "She's gonna be ticked at meh' when she wakes up… a' hope she don't give the Twins' mah office pass key 'gain…"

"Oh, Primus," Shadowsinger said, grinning widely. "Automatic responses can be so amusing... You know the Twins?" He hadn't expected that... Why couldn't assignment briefings ever provide USEFUL information? Oh, right, 'Shadowsinger's rules of life, Rule number 42, nothing in life is ever allowed to be simple or uncomplicated.' Stupid rule.

"Aye a' bail 'em out an' let 'em get away with stuff so they do stuff fo meh..." The dinobot said while jumping over and grabbing two cubes of energon and putting one in front of Shadow. "Drink up, dude, oh an' if Blowout, ya'll meet 'er later, ever gives ya' high grade jus' politely refuse an' run away. A over energized 'Out is a scary 'Out!"

He looked at the energon doubtfully, not really trusting Loki to have given him normal energon, especially taking the comment about Blowout into consideration. Then again, even he didn't fritz out from only one drink. "I'll remember that," he agreed solemnly, sipping from the cube. Normal, good, he wasn't quite comfortable enough to enjoy high-grade with this crew yet. "So... besides followin' orders, what'm I supposed t'do here?"

"Well on ya' report thingy it said ya' were good at boostin' moral an' a' strong guy so ya'll probably get ta' do patrol an' recon'." Loki said thoughtfully, "Ta' tell th' truth a' don' know yet. I'm gonna have'ta ask 'Bit an' show ya' the job thingy so ya' can tell meh what 'ur good at."

Shadow looked blankely at Loki for a little bit, and then burst into laughter. "Me? Strong? Who the pit wrote that on my report? First time I've ever been called 'strong'..." Still chuckling, he took another sip of energon, looking at Loki. "So... just kinda do whatever for now, I can handle that. Patrol is fun, too." Raising the cube, he muttered, "So, here's to my new post," before draining it. "And I fear I'm taking up quite enough of your time..." Not that he wanted Loki to leave, he was just quite sure she had other work to do. Like those datepads.

"Takin' up ma' time? Are ya' kidin'?" With a snort Loki leaned down slightly and grinned, "If I don' gotta do them reports then it ain't time wasted!" Oh course it wasn't, she hated those stupid reports so fragging much!... "An' 'sides," she poked him gently, "Ya' look strong ta' me."

"Ah, but the reports are NEEDED, are they not?" He looked away, embarrassed by her supportive words. Sure, he might be able to beat her in a fight, though he wouldn't make any bets on that, but that hardly made him 'strong'. "You can't avoid work forever, though y'seem the sort t'try."

"O' course! But yeah… I hate 'em! So I gotta try." She winked at Shadowsinger, laughing at his embarrassment. "I can't 'leave no'nes called ya' strong 'fore!" Sipping at her energon Loki shrugged, "I'm a dinobot, dude, dinos know strong when weh' see it, an' I see it in ya' so hush an' take th' complement an' don' even try swingin' it back at those stupid reports..." she said, tail waving slightly.

Observant to boot. "Look, I'll grant that I could MAYBE beat you in a fight. Even if that does make me strong, the point remains. No one has CALLED me that, before." He smirked suddenly, quietly amused by the way her tail moved. "If I agree to take the complement, you should agree to do your job, y'know." Sure he understood disliking reports, but they did serve a needed function, and it wasn't just keeping people busy.

Snorting Loki put her cube down, "A' do ma' job jus' not like mos' other second-in-commands, don' worry I'll get it done." She waved a clawed hand and laughed, "Ya' probably could beat meh' in a fight, 'specially if a' get caught of guard."

Oh, slag... "That's not what I meant! I mean, of course you do get your job done. I'm not accusing you of anything, really. I just... didn't put things so well..." Well, that was a lovely way to slag up a conversation that had so far been going well. Her second comment went almost completely unnoticed.

Laughing, the dinobot poked Shadowsinger with a claw. "Ah' din' mean ta' fluster ya', i's ok dude," she said. "A' din' take offense ta' it at all, what a' meant was tha' I jus' don' gotta giant drill up my aft like th' Prowler tha's all." It was quite funny that he was getting flustered really, since not many did.

"Well that's good, 'twould hurt having a ... drill... up your... aft..." Shadowsinger slowly realized what she had said, and about whom. With a weak smile, he added, "So, I guess a tail isn't like a drill." He wasn't sure yet how to take her easy touches, and so he tended to ignore them.

"Hex no i's not!" The spinosaurus yelped, grabbing her tail and holding it, feeling like a sparkling as she did so. "Ma' tail is notin' like that drill up Prowls aft! A' mean he yelled at meh fo' not havin' 'proper etiquette' what eva' the slag that was! I likey mah tail it hurts like the pit when stupid 'cons try'n rip it off." Loki made a face, "Ma' fin too fo' that matter…" Realizing what she had just said, the dino looked sheepish. "Sorry, Sorral likes messin' with me 'bout that jus' 'cause I'm th' youngest on th' ship…"

"But... I like your tail, too..." Shadow said in a mournfully befuddled tone. She looked cute like that, but he kept that opinion to himself. And he wasn't quite sure if she meant they messed with her about the tail, about Prowl's comment, or about the 'cons trying to rip it off. Either way, best not to go there. "So, ah, how old are you?"

"Um… well I don' 'member the war startin' but a' do know I'm older then Bumblebee of Optimus Primes group…" Trailing off Loki looked down, "Sorral's older than meh' Ah' know…" She shrugged and absently started petting her tail, "I'm th' youngest member o' this ship though, just ta' tell ya'…"

Had the war really been going on that long already? Shadowsinger suddenly felt old, a very unusual feeling for him. "You already did tell me that. Forgive my lack of manners, I often seem to say the wrong thing." Which was why he so much preferred not saying anything. So, right, time to change the subject. "So, is the rec room the only part of the ship interesting enough to tour?"

"Bleh, 'ur fine, an' it's kinda th' safest place but Ah' can show ya' more if ya' want." The dinobot shrugged again, dropping her tail and letting it swing back and forth lightly. "It's all up ta' ya', I dun' care as long as ya' dun' mention them reports…"

"Can't really say that I care either way," the mech answered. Suddenly launching himself off the table, he checked something he'd been wondering about for a while by neatly walking under the table he'd just been on. With a laugh, he spun in place, peering out at Loki. "I see what you mean by safest," he said with a grin.

Looking down, Loki laughed before picking Shadowsinger up and dropping him on her neck. "Naw dude, i's MUCH safer up 'ere!" The spinosauruse's tail wagged in happiness and she grinned, "Ah' think th' others ar' gonna like ya' dude, ya' gonna be a great addition!"

He couldn't stop the automatic stiffening that came with being reached for by a large femme, but had relaxed by the time he was deposited on her neck. Well, he had the second in command on his side, that was already a vast improvement over his usual assignments. "I think I'm gonna enjoy being here."

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Yep. 42. I'm a nerd! :D


	7. Chapter 7

For this chapter, we go WAY back, to when Shadow was REALLY young. Hope you enjoy!

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High above the fancy party, almost unseen, a youngling mech sat in the air vents with a grin. He wasn't there to listen or learn secrets... more just proving to himself that he could... and that, as he'd thought, fancy parties were deadly dull. Still, he had got up there, proven what he'd wished... and now here he had to stay. Soundwave had sent the cassettes looking for his employer's errant creation, and Shadowsinger knew that this was likely to be the last place they'd think of looking for him. Or, of course, they could be looking for him here right now... A low, almost subsonic, growl proved that Ravage, at least, knew where he was.

"Mind that section," Shadowsinger whispered, pointing at the slotted vent. It had bucked when he crawled over it. He was tall enough to have rested his weight on the sections immediately behind and before, but Ravage was shorter than he was, and likely not light enough to make it.

The quadruped didn't seem glad of the warning, staring at the ivory and purple youngling with annoyed red optics. After a moment, Ravage shifted his attention to the vent behind Shadowsinger, clearly determining where it lead and how to get there.

Grin widening, Shadowsinger shook his head. "Only Laserbeak or Buzzsaw could reach that end, it connects straight outside," he informed his pursuer quietly. Had to stay quite, Ratbat would not be happy if Shadowsinger disturbed his party. "And they'd still have t'get me out."

Ravage gave a hiss, but nodded. He understood Shadowsinger's game as well as any... and he was the best player. A mere youngling could never be more patient than he, but currently, there was no reason to force the small mech out of his hidey hole.

Shadowsinger giggled at the hiss, delighted with himself. He was finally outwitting his minders, doing something he wanted to do, that they would keep him from. "Hehe, you can't get me... Lucky for you I don't want to go anywhere else." Another delighted chuckle came from the mech, and then he returned to watching the people below.

Red optics blazed brighter at the jab, and Ravage poked at the vent cover with a paw, testing its strength. It flexed a little, sure, but Shadowsinger had crossed, and the youngling massed more than Ravage. Pity there wasn't room to really jump, but then again, the thump of landing might well be heard even over the noise of the mechs and few femmes in the room below.

"Heh...eh... Ravage? Ravage, you can't, you know that vent won't...!" Shadowsinger had heard the sound the metal made as it flexed under the black paw, and now he looked at the quadruped with frightened blue optics. "Ravage, you'll fall, and we'll be discovered!"

Ravage answered his worry by standing, offering an inquiring mew before stepping back a little. The feline wasn't afraid of discovery, it was Shadowsinger who would bear his Creator's displeasure. Only manners, then, to offer the young mech a way out of his troubles.

A full breem passed in silence, the two mechs looking at each other across the vent, light and noise from the party below continuing unabated. Finally, Shadowsinger shook his head, "No... no, you're bluffing me. You're not gonna get caught just to prove a point..." Despite his surety, the ivory mech backed up A shriek from behind reminded him that this was, for him, a dead end, though it seemed that Laserbeak had shown up. Still, he refused to take Ravage's offer. He would stay here until the party was done, and then force the cassettes to drag him from here!

Now it was Ravage's turn to shake his head with a growling chuckle. Delicately, deliberately, the feline put a paw on the slotted vent. It buckled, and Shadowsinger put out a hand, as though that would stop the cassette. "No, not like that! You have to lay down, spread your weight, Ravage, you're too short!" Ravage snorted, like the kid knew how to move through vents better than he did!

Another step forward, and now Ravage's forequarters were on the yielding metal. Maybe the youngling was right, maybe he should, at the least, lower himself... His progress was more awkward now, his body not structured well for crawling silently over the rippled and slotted vent. A blur of purple-trimmed ivory startled Ravage, Shadowsinger throwing himself forward, trying to catch the feline and spread the weight.

Ravage jerked and tried to avoid the unknown object before he recognized the mech. By then it was too late, the jerk and Shadowsinger's weight tearing through the thin metal. With a yowl and a terrified shriek, the two mechs fell to the floor below, landing in a tangle of dark and pale limbs.

Slowly untangling himself from the youngling, Ravage looked around. Unsurprisingly, he was in a circle of party-goers, all of whom were staring at Shadowsinger and him. Shaking his head, Ravage made an annoyed noise, staring back at the guests like he wondered why they were looking at him. Nothing to see here, everything was going exactly as planned... Mentally, Ravage was berating himself for letting the silly youngling bait him like that.

Said youngling was looking about abashed, though shame gave way to fear when he saw his Creator bearing down on him with a glare that young Shadowsinger was quite sure would frighten off the Unmaker himself! "Ah... hello, Ratbat," the small mech said formally. Soundwave had told him once that he must never call the senator 'Creator' where others could hear. The telepath had not given a reason, but Shadowsinger didn't need one. It wasn't like he wanted Ratbat for a Creator, after all!

"Ravage, well done," the older mech said, with a small nod for the quadruped, before looking at the pale youngling. "Shadowsinger," a formal acknowledgment, but little else, "Go with Ravage."

The feline saw how Shadowsinger had to fight to remain dispassionate. Ratbat's words of praise were rare, and never given to the creation he had never wanted. Shadowsinger gave the slight half-bow of a subordinate to their superior, then turned to follow Ravage, the cassette already walking away. Punishment would be dealt later, when the guests had left, on Ravage for his lapse in judgment, and on Shadowsinger for his disobedience. Ravage almost felt sorry.

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As always, please review!


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